The present invention relates to a pellicle mounting apparatus for adhering one or two pellicle frames, on which a pellicle has been mounted, to one or both surfaces of a reticle glass for use in an exposing apparatus which is used in semi-conductor manufacturing or in liquid crystal display manufacturing by applying pressure to the pellicle frame or frames.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are a sectional view and a front view, respectively showing a product manufactured by a pellicle mounting apparatus. The product comprises a reticle glass 1 having a reticle pattern 22 installed thereon, and pellicle frames 4 and 5 having pellicles 2 and 3 adhered thereto with adhesive layers 20. An example of a conventional pellicle mounting apparatus is described below with reference to FIG. 10, which is a sectional view showing the conventional pellicle mounting apparatus. The pellicles 2 and 3 are adhered to the pellicle frames 4 and 5, respectively. The pellicle frames 4 and 5 are held by pressure members 7 and 8. A suction bracket 6 mounted on a bearing 16 suctions a reticle glass 1 thereto through an opening 9 in a vacuum condition, thus holding it thereon. The pressure member 8 is installed on a fixed bracket 10. A movable bracket 11, on which the pressure member 7 is installed, is mounted on a bearing 17. The bearings 16 and 17 are capable of moving along a guide rail 18. A bearing 12 mounted on the movable bracket 11 is in contact with a spherical joint 13 fixed to a piston rod 21 of a pneumatic cylinder 15 mounted on a bracket 14. The fixed bracket 10, the bracket 14, and the guide rail 18 are fixed to a base frame 19. The adhesive layers 20 are formed on the pellicle frames 4 and 5.
The operation of the pellicle mount apparatus of the above construction is described below. Upon the supply of air to the pneumatic cylinder 15, the piston rod 21 moves leftward, and as a result, the bearing 17 moves leftward along the guide rail 18 via the spherical joint 13, the bearing 12, and the movable bracket 11. As a result, the pellicle frame 4 is brought into contact with the reticle glass 1, thus pressing the bearing 16 leftward along the guide rail 18. Consequently, the reticle glass 1 is brought into contact with the pellicle frame 5. The reticle glass 1 is pressed by the pressure members 7 and 8 in opposite directions, thus being adhered to the pellicle frames 4 and 5 with the adhesive layers 20.
In the above-described construction, it is impossible to absorb an error which has been produced during the manufacture of the parts, for example, the movable bracket 11, the suction bracket 6, or the pressure members 7 and 8, any error of an irregular flatness of the pellicle frames 4 and 5 and the reticle glass 1, and any error of an irregular thickness of the adhesive layer 20. Consequently, it is difficult to perfectly adhere the periphery of the pellicle frames 4 and 5 to the reticle glass 1.